We Are All Accumulating Mountains of Things - and then throw it away

[s0me0nesmind1]

I assumed you meant multiple pairs.

When I mentioned that my wife has 80 pairs, I didn't mention that they cost an average of about $400 apiece, and that's considering she usually gets at least 50% discounts. Some of her shoes are over a grand. It's ridiculous. I don't get why anyone needs that many shoes, but she's never been able to explain it to me in a way that makes sense. I guess it's the whole Mars/Venus thing.

Also, strangely enough, this appears to be an issue more with American women than women abroad. I just read an article that says in the UK, women actually spend less than men on clothes.

I'll spend $400+ for a nice set of Allen Edmonds.

The difference is (unlike shit quality women's heels) they will last until the end of time. Shine them, do a few maintenance tasks like replace the soles and they still look like I bought them yesterday.

My problem with women's heel shoes is that I've never seen a pair that lasts long term - be it a $40 pair or a $400 pair - both deteriorate very easily.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Generally I think more space you have, more crap you will have to fill it.

Only when space is tight are we forced to have to make choices.

Not only that, throwing away, donating and repairing stuff is very time consuming. When your time is more limited than money, it's easier to just buy new stuff than spending time on the old.

As I've gotten older, richer, busier, I don't have the time to meet with things like I used to.

Occasionally I find some project that went unfinished. It's like a museum piece of my old life. I have to smile on the things I no longer care about, yet spent considerable time fussing over. The stuff I used to do to try to save a few bucks when I didn't have many. Now I barely have time to bother to throw it in the trash.

How many years have it been since I wandered into FS/FT?

Definitely in a similar boat.

I'm starting to throw away tasks - my first ones are house cleaning (maid) and yard maintenance (mowing). Fuck those in this shitty ass summer weather.

I also used to monitor FS/FT and upgrade my PC way more often... No more! Partly from a lack of gaming time.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I wont brag. I have bought a tone of home automation things. Every room now has a A-Dot, and 2 rooms have G-Home mini. Every room has a wifi switch as well as outlet plugs.

Do you realize how easy it is to now say "Alexa, turn off the house"? Everything turn off, front door locks TVs turn off. If its warm, I can tell her to turn down the air. If I have a question, google will answer. If I cant find my phone, Google will make it ring even if its on vibrate.

Its all superfluous and I love every bit of it.

Does this even things out a little?

At the end of the day that had to cost a boatload right? I figure you have to buy most of it all at once?

I've started gradually but by the time I want to buy something else the previous is already outdated. Hell, I just got one of those video doorbells so I can see who is annoying me.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

LOL, last month my Whirlpool direct-drive washer from 1992 finally broke after I way overloaded it. Wife was quick to point out how old it was but I took it apart and found a broken $12 coupler, bought one fixed it. The new Whirlpool's are only $320 for a basic machine and they have belt drive and flimsy construction. Can't blame the manufacturer, people just throw out appliances anymore, why not make them as cheaply as possible so in 3 years it will be gone anyway. Meanwhile my '92 model, which cost $350 in '92 has a cast-iron transmission and a motor twice the size as a new one. Washer for life IMO.

You know what the reason for that is, right? It's because just to get an HVAC / Plumber / Electrician out to your house it will cost you $300 MINIMUM.

So fuck it, why do that when you can get a new machine and start over with a fresh warranty?


BUT! If it makes you feel any better - there is NO DOUBT in my mind that there is SOME type of new movement taking off - because I'm a part of it.... I used to never touch electronics or my car, but lately I've just been searching YouTube and conducting my own repairs because of how simple a lot of videos are (along with websites to buy parts). All I have to google is "Car won't start makes X noise" and I can probably find someone with my same car model and year that describes for me the problem and how to fix it. That's VERY helpful.

Lately I've: Replaced my car starter, power steering pump, serpentine belt, spark plugs - and a temperature guage on my dryer based on the error code it gave me... All thanks to the Interwebz. So there is some hope.

 

[woolfe9998]

I'll spend $400+ for a nice set of Allen Edmonds.

The difference is (unlike shit quality women's heels) they will last until the end of time. Shine them, do a few maintenance tasks like replace the soles and they still look like I bought them yesterday.

My problem with women's heel shoes is that I've never seen a pair that lasts long term - be it a $40 pair or a $400 pair - both deteriorate very easily.

They deteriorate a lot slower when she has 50 pair of heels and each only gets worn once or twice a month. Her heels basically don't wear out. She throws them away or donates them when she thinks they're out of style.

 

[darkswordsman17]

My grandma was a hoarder and I decided I'd never be that way, so I've been trying to get where I could move everything I own in a car (not a truck or SUV even, but basically any vehicle that isn't basically a 2 seat sports car). This way moving is easier and cheaper. I hang onto clothes (when I like it, if its something I don't like to wear then get rid of it because no point to keeping it, but I have shirts from high school that I still wear - which some I had put away in a box so they weren't all threadbare or anything, although some have started to get holes and then they become just around the house shirts until they get bad enough then yeah trash it), but I also kinda transition in weight a fair amount too regularly so I'd need to be buying new clothes far too often for my liking, and better to just hang onto them and then put in storage when it doesn't fit (and weed out ones you don't like when you go to store them).

For bedding, I just assume I'll buy new bedding if the move is far enough (I also am weird in that I can sleep fairly comfortably on the floor, especially if I get a roll of memory foam to put under say a sleeping bag; not ideal certainly but I could manage, and I can genuinely sleep comfortably on a futon; unless I get stupid rich somehow, I don't see ever buying like a big king sized 4 poster bed or anything). And for appliances I'd sort that out too (haven't stabilized enough to be buying where I'd think about getting my own appliances, I'd probably go with a mini-fridge and use a laundromat or pay a friend to use theirs until I get my own). Other furniture I'd buy to suit my needs at the time (probably check used on Craigslist/Facebook Marketplace/etc).

I actually need to get rid of some things. I just recently switched to using a 4K TV as a monitor (my Mom got it at work for $150 on clearance as they were putting up the new 2018 models), so I have 3 older LCD monitors that I don't have a use for. I'll probably keep one just to have it around if I need a monitor (one is a Dell 22" 1080p touchscreen, so it'd be handy in a pinch), but especially the like 10 year old 1680x1050 monitors I don't need any more (they were nice at the time, one is an NEC 20WMGX2 and the other a Dell 2007WFP). The bonus is that it puts out less heat, and uses less electricity. I'll probably move back to a real PC display in the future (I wish someone would make a standalone display like the Surface Studio, with a big ~4K pen input display). And then pair it with an OLED when they become reasonably priced for a second "watching/gaming" display, or maybe a 4K projector (gave my 1080p LCD Epson to my sister).

I have been wanting to get a decent sit-stand desk though, and have been considering the Husky "workbench" that goes on sale for $150-200 at Home Depot sometimes. Its more robust than most sit stand desks (and could always use it for something else if I get a nicer motorized desk or something) so it should hold up well with time but would be more of a pain to move since its around 100lbs (so even taken apart it'll be fairly hefty).

I'll be happy when they get USB-C (or maybe even after that) sorted out and it can replace HDMI/DP, normal USB, and device charging cables so I can just have like 5 cables instead of like 5 for each. I think I still have some VGA cables and old SATA 1 and other crap in my "old/random cables" box.

 

[BUTCH1]

You know what the reason for that is, right? It's because just to get an HVAC / Plumber / Electrician out to your house it will cost you $300 MINIMUM.

So fuck it, why do that when you can get a new machine and start over with a fresh warranty?


BUT! If it makes you feel any better - there is NO DOUBT in my mind that there is SOME type of new movement taking off - because I'm a part of it.... I used to never touch electronics or my car, but lately I've just been searching YouTube and conducting my own repairs because of how simple a lot of videos are (along with websites to buy parts). All I have to google is "Car won't start makes X noise" and I can probably find someone with my same car model and year that describes for me the problem and how to fix it. That's VERY helpful.

Lately I've: Replaced my car starter, power steering pump, serpentine belt, spark plugs - and a temperature guage on my dryer based on the error code it gave me... All thanks to the Interwebz. So there is some hope.

Yup, Whirlpool sold millions of these direct-drive machines and you-tube has repair vid's galore about how they work and what part might eventually fail, good for you!!.

 

[realibrad]

At the end of the day that had to cost a boatload right? I figure you have to buy most of it all at once?

I've started gradually but by the time I want to buy something else the previous is already outdated. Hell, I just got one of those video doorbells so I can see who is annoying me.

Depends on what you mean by a boat load.

$25-$30 per light switch x 4 $100-$120
$25 Alexa Dot x4 $100
$47 for a 3 pack of outlets x 2 $94
$25 Google Home Mini x 2 $50

Things I got free.
Next 1st gen thermostat $199
Front door lock $120-$150

You can get an Alexa thermostat for around $100. So, all in you could be under $600 if you got everything I got. You probably dont need a dot in every room like I have, or have both google and amazon. I also have extra outlet adapters for things like Christmas as it was sweet to turn off and on the lights with my voice.

 

[gorcorps]

I think it has more to do with this.


I see people leave behind stuff in rentals all the time. Piles of clothes, furniture, even electronics and tvs.

People these days seem to think everything has to be new all the time. When I was a kid growing up in the 90s it seemed like most people kept stuff around until it broke, the kitchens/bathrooms hadn't been touched in 30 years. Now it seems like everythings always the latest and greatest, people have to remodel constantly because their 15 year old kitchen is so outdated etc.

Oh man, the amount of stuff that's thrown away during remodels is astounding. And so often it's stuff that's just visual preference, it still works... but you usually break it during demo so you usually just throw it all away.

 

[digiram]

On the flipside is the fact that the economy is based on consumerism, or consumption drives the economy. If everyone decides to save all they have tomorrow, stop driving their cars, go out hunting or start farming their own foods. What happens to the economy?

 

[zinfamous]

when products are cheap, you just think they are disposable. Buying a microwave oven, or TV, or washer and dryer or fridge are no longer long-term research projects on the best built, most dependable machine that actually does the job for nearly a lifetime. Now, it needs to be priced "right," so that I can put that savings into an additional piece of low-priced crap that I never really needed.

Ikea is far too ubiquitous. Target and KMart and the like selling furniture in boxes for $20-30. You expect this stuff to last for a year maybe, in your dorm room at the most, to be tossed on the curb or destroyed in some stupid Youtube video that you are planning.

Everything is just too damn cheap. No one values anything that they purchase because it is always disposable and should be replaced every year or every couple of years.

Cellphones? You've got to be kidding me. I honestly think the people that replace them every year have a legit mental illness. And it's not like they are cheap!

 

[zinfamous]

Gee wiz, how did that ever happen?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self

The words of Paul Mazur, a leading Wall Street banker working for Lehman Brothers in 1927, are cited: "We must shift America from a needs- to a desires-culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old have been entirely consumed. [...] Man's desires must overshadow his needs."

Question is what happens when the rest of the world refuses to take our garbage.

https://money.cnn.com/2018/04/20/news/economy/china-new-recycling-ban/index.html

China just threw another curveball at the global recycling industry.
The Chinese government says it's extending last year's ban on imports of items such as unsorted paper and some plastics to dozens more types of recyclable materials, including steel waste, used auto parts and old ships.

For decades, other countries shipped containers full of scrap and waste to China for recycling. But Beijing stunned the recycling industry last year with its ban on imports of 24 varieties of solid waste.

Now, it's adding 32 more types to the list -- half of them at the end of this year, and the other half at the end of 2019.

The developed world has been getting away with a relatively cheap and easy lifestyle on the backs of third world laborers and the abuse to their health and environments for decades, now the price of cheap throwaway shit is going to spill out to the developed world like a backed up toilet,

and it is going to be far more expensive than the domestic environmental, safety, and labor costs avoided for the lifestyle they enjoyed in their profit only matters, cheapest is best race to the bottom religion in order to support the 1% who brainwashed them into being good little free trade loving consumers.

yep yep and yep.

 

[fleshconsumed]

when products are cheap, you just think they are disposable. Buying a microwave oven, or TV, or washer and dryer or fridge are no longer long-term research projects on the best built, most dependable machine that actually does the job for nearly a lifetime. Now, it needs to be priced "right," so that I can put that savings into an additional piece of low-priced crap that I never really needed.

Ikea is far too ubiquitous. Target and KMart and the like selling furniture in boxes for $20-30. You expect this stuff to last for a year maybe, in your dorm room at the most, to be tossed on the curb or destroyed in some stupid Youtube video that you are planning.

Everything is just too damn cheap. No one values anything that they purchase because it is always disposable and should be replaced every year or every couple of years.

Cellphones? You've got to be kidding me. I honestly think the people that replace them every year have a legit mental illness. And it's not like they are cheap!

Part of it is I think people move a lot more than they used to. When you have to move for your job several times during your lifetime it does not make sense to buy something that lasts. The home buyer won't be paying extra for super durable super reliable fridge, and moving heavy quality furniture across the country blows. Plus the continuous decline in home ownership rates puts additional pressure against buying quality items that last.

Meh, it's the world we live in, and there is nothing any given individual can do about it. I've given up. My personal solution is to buy less and buy something I really like. Like some of the posters here I want to downsize to a point where I can fit all of my possessions in a single midsize uhaul truck. Life would be so much better that way.

 

[zinfamous]

Part of it is I think people move a lot more than they used to. When you have to move for your job several times during your lifetime it does not make sense to buy something that lasts. The home buyer won't be paying extra for super durable super reliable fridge, and moving heavy quality furniture across the country blows. Plus the continuous decline in home ownership rates puts additional pressure against buying quality items that last.

Meh, it's the world we live in, and there is nothing any given individual can do about it. I've given up. My personal solution is to buy less and buy something I really like. Like some of the posters here I want to downsize to a point where I can fit all of my possessions in a single midsize uhaul truck. Life would be so much better that way.

Oh for sure. I was going to mention that, but not sure how widespread that is or if I was just one of those weird people that has moved some 16 times in the last 20 years (mostly locally). No matter what you keep dragging along with you, you invariably feel the need to buy new things for the "new" place so that it all feels new....you know, trash can, shower curtains, bath mats, towels, etc. It's all so very stupid. I have gotten pretty good at not replacing things I get rid of, though.

 

[BUTCH1]

Well I guess I jumped the shark today, I bought a refurb "43 Vizio at Wally-world for $150, My bedroom TV was a 1999 "32 Sharp that still works perfectly. Difficult to use a SD TV when all your menu's are designed for 1080 plus at 270 watts it was quite the power hog. new LED set is 26 watts. Now I have the herculean task of removing it, it weighs 120lbs, thank God I have a hand dolly. I'll try and give it to charity, (if they still take these monsters) rather than tossing a perfectly functional set into the landfill.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

when products are cheap, you just think they are disposable. Buying a microwave oven, or TV, or washer and dryer or fridge are no longer long-term research projects on the best built, most dependable machine that actually does the job for nearly a lifetime. Now, it needs to be priced "right," so that I can put that savings into an additional piece of low-priced crap that I never really needed.

Ikea is far too ubiquitous. Target and KMart and the like selling furniture in boxes for $20-30. You expect this stuff to last for a year maybe, in your dorm room at the most, to be tossed on the curb or destroyed in some stupid Youtube video that you are planning.

Everything is just too damn cheap. No one values anything that they purchase because it is always disposable and should be replaced every year or every couple of years.

Cellphones? You've got to be kidding me. I honestly think the people that replace them every year have a legit mental illness. And it's not like they are cheap!

Yeah,. but on the flipside - take a stroll around Ethan Allen or any other nice furniture store - You're talking about dropping $2-3k+ on EVERY single piece of furniture (couch, table, etc). It's no wonder that cheap ones are so successful.

After college I don't have the money to drop $20k to supply my entire house with nice furniture that will last. That means that I temporarily have to fill it with crap quality stuff until I have enough saved to buy decent furniture. The difference is - most americans never get to that 2nd step where they have enough to buy high quality items, so they continue to just replace with crap quality.

 

[BUTCH1]

Cast iron transmission? I sincerely doubt that because that would break on the first spin cycle. Cast iron is real brittle and prone to rusting which is exactly what you would NOT want in a washer.

You'll want a belt drive since that will work the best and be the quietest while lasting the longest. These types of belts last for 100 000 miles in some cars without problems, your washer won't get up to those mileages in a lifetime.

Well the housing is cast iron, not the gears themselves. A belt drive can be very reliable as well, just depends on the design.

 

[nakedfrog]

Well I guess I jumped the shark today, I bought a refurb "43 Vizio at Wally-world for $150, My bedroom TV was a 1999 "32 Sharp that still works perfectly. Difficult to use a SD TV when all your menu's are designed for 1080 plus at 270 watts it was quite the power hog. new LED set is 26 watts. Now I have the herculean task of removing it, it weighs 120lbs, thank God I have a hand dolly. I'll try and give it to charity, (if they still take these monsters) rather than tossing a perfectly functional set into the landfill.

I know the various Goodwills around here have signs that they no longer accept CRTs.

 

[ElFenix]

Part of it is I think people move a lot more than they used to. When you have to move for your job several times during your lifetime it does not make sense to buy something that lasts. The home buyer won't be paying extra for super durable super reliable fridge, and moving heavy quality furniture across the country blows.

this is incorrect

 

[realibrad]

this is incorrect

Sir, are you aware this is P&N? Facts do not belong here.

Neat read though.

 

[Bitek]

when products are cheap, you just think they are disposable. Buying a microwave oven, or TV, or washer and dryer or fridge are no longer long-term research projects on the best built, most dependable machine that actually does the job for nearly a lifetime. Now, it needs to be priced "right," so that I can put that savings into an additional piece of low-priced crap that I never really needed.

Ikea is far too ubiquitous. Target and KMart and the like selling furniture in boxes for $20-30. You expect this stuff to last for a year maybe, in your dorm room at the most, to be tossed on the curb or destroyed in some stupid Youtube video that you are planning.

Everything is just too damn cheap. No one values anything that they purchase because it is always disposable and should be replaced every year or every couple of years.

Cellphones? You've got to be kidding me. I honestly think the people that replace them every year have a legit mental illness. And it's not like they are cheap!

Party of the issue too is that for some products, the entire market has moved to low cost/lower quality.

You simply can't buy a high quality, durable item. Spending more just means extra bells and whistles (esp IoT) as market differentiators.

Eg home appliances.

I want a washer that will be reliable for a couple decades, and I'll pay a bit more for it. I don't need the MFer to text me on the status of the cycle, but that seems to be what the upscale models do, rather than provide better components.

 

[BUTCH1]

Wahh I just bought a new GE. Maybe I'll do the sheet metal thing next time. I figured 26 years is a good run for a machine.

Yea, it is, and there comes a time when it's just not practicable. A motor for my old Whirlpool is $155, if that goes out I won't replace it. Most parts are rather inexpensive and since Whirlpool sold these under Roper, Maytag, Kenmore, Estate, names there is an installed base of several million of these. That means third party parts abound, as does information to keep them going.

 

[Plar]

I'm sure that such statistics in many countries. Work the packaging manufacturer is well. Food will always buy.

 

[Sonikku]

I think it has more to do with this.


I see people leave behind stuff in rentals all the time. Piles of clothes, furniture, even electronics and tvs.

People these days seem to think everything has to be new all the time. When I was a kid growing up in the 90s it seemed like most people kept stuff around until it broke, the kitchens/bathrooms hadn't been touched in 30 years. Now it seems like everythings always the latest and greatest, people have to remodel constantly because their 15 year old kitchen is so outdated etc.

Oh believe you me, I definitely keep things around until they break. But things break a whole lot faster you see. My mother has a maytag washer and dryer that still work fine after 30 years. In all probability, I would not be surprised if it outlived a "Maytag" bought today, provided you can call them that.

 

[BUTCH1]

Oh believe you me, I definitely keep things around until they break. But things break a whole lot faster you see. My mother has a maytag washer and dryer that still work fine after 30 years. In all probability, I would not be surprised if it outlived a "Maytag" bought today, provided you can call them that.

Oh, it would but you can't really blame the manufactures, they are just making what the majority want, cheap price, new "gadget" features. They understand most of these units won't be around in 5 years, even if they still work fine.